


Praise On

by MiniNephthys



Category: Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Children, Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner, Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne, Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey, 真女神転生IV | Shin Megami Tensei IV
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-29
Updated: 2013-11-29
Packaged: 2018-01-02 22:39:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1062496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MiniNephthys/pseuds/MiniNephthys
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Where her father goes, Mirai may go, just to check on him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Praise On

"You've been doing good work, Private Kaname."

The woman turns to look at Langdon, who had been speaking. "Yes sir. Thank you sir." There's a grin on her face that suggests she already knows this information.

"You're practically a natural. If I had the authority to promote anyone, you'd be on my list." He's been looked up to by the others, ever since Commander Gore died, but he's not actually in charge in terms of military rank.

"That's very kind of you to say." Kaname shakes her head. "Actually, I'm not that ambitious. I just want everyone here to stay alive, that's all."

"Really?" She reminds him of Jimenez with her cheerful expression and her relaxed manner around the demons that frighten the rest of the crew, and he'd never hear that out of him.

"With due respect, I'd rather be a private and live than an officer and die."

She has a good point.

Later, he notices that she's the only one in the room unsurprised by the appearance of the strange blond woman. She listens to the woman speak of chaos, and when she disappears, listens just as silently to the crew members split into factions.

"Private Kaname," he asks, when two thirds of the crew has left. "What are your thoughts?"

She sighs heavily, and before she can speak, the blond woman reappears.

"Mirai," she says, and every gaze in the room turns to Mirai Kaname. "Your hair is a mess."

"I've been working, Mama." Rather than be embarrassed at the intense scrutiny, Mirai stands straighter and more proudly, daring the rest of the crew to comment.

"You really should put it up again." The woman doesn't seem to care. "I could braid it for you."

"You don't have to, I'll put it up myself," says Kaname.

"Take care, dear." She almost smiles.

"You too." As the mysterious woman disappears again, Kaname folds her arms. "Being completely human was not a requirement for this mission. Nobody asked."

After a minute, Langdon says. "Private, I asked you a question."

"You're not even going to comment on that whole display...?" Kaname asks with a bit of surprise.

"It wasn't a part of signing up for the mission. You're completely correct." Langdon won't say he isn't a little unsettled, but she hasn't lied and there are more important things to discuss now. "Your thoughts, private."

Kaname looks around. "Well, after that I'm thinking I might be more welcome outside of this group, under Jimenez. Am I wrong?"

There is some awkward muttering from the remaining crew.

"It's still your decision. If you want to see the mission completed, I will be the first to welcome you here. There aren't enough of us left to argue over that." Langdon speaks with authority. The muttering stops.

Mirai pauses for a moment, then smiles like her mother just did. "Thank you, Commander. I honestly do want you all to survive, but I have to leave you now."

He understands. "The same to you."

* * *

"Narumi Detective Agency, where you take unusual cases?" a woman asks, starting to speak when she's only halfway through the doorway.

"Yes, that's us. But we're a little busy at the moment, so..." Narumi looks at Dahn, who is clearly not handling anything or him and jerks his head toward the woman. "You can leave a case file, but we might take a touch longer to get to it."

"Oh, that's all right. Papa highly recommends you, and I'm not going anywhere." She pulls herself a seat, sitting comfortably. "Mirai Kaname. Your devil summoner is out?"

The two men stiffen at once. "Yer involved in that sorta thing?" Dahn asks.

"Even if I wasn't, which I am," Mirai explains, "Papa tells me all kinds of stories.. You must be Dahn Tsukigata, right?"

Dahn narrows his eyes. Brining on the apocalypse may have destroyed his pride, but his suspicion is well alive. "Who's askin'?"

"Blond man, briefcase he never opens, grey suit, infuriatingly mysterious, goes by Louis..." Mirai says. When Dahn growls, she goes on, "I see you've met."

"That good-for-nothin' lyin' despicable-"

"He's my papa." Mirai stays calm in the face of Dahn's anger, but her tone contains a hint of warning. "I don't like what he's doing either, but..."

When Mirai doesn't seem inclined to finish, Narumi prods, "Then why didn't you say something and tell him not to do it?"

"What makes you think I didn't? Anyway, the embodiment of stupid things done for family is sitting in this room." She gives a meaningful glance at Dahn before continuing. "As long as it doesn't hurt Papa, he can do what he wants."

Neither Narumi nor Dahn like this answer. Finally, Narumi speaks. "Did you actually have a case?"

"Of course, give me just one second..."

It turns out to be that one of her demons has gone missing in the dark realm. She leaves before Raidou returns, and Narumi grumbles through his explanation. Dahn sits in the corner and does not speak.

After finding the demon in dark Harumi-cho, Raidou finds his client at the church, sitting beside the blond young man he's come to know. Despite impending doom around them, they seem perfectly calm, with Mirai's head on Louis's shoulder as she naps.

After leaving the demon near the church entrance, Raidou voices his opinion. "...You look too young to be her father."

"There are many mysteries in this world, that spark the strange things we see every now and again." Louis raises a finger to his lips. "But you will need to be more quiet if you wish to speak. This is a church and some of us are resting."

Mirai stirs briefly against him and Louis kisses her brow, calming her sleep.

Raidou makes his exit and reminds himself that even the people who would spark a calamity for their own purposes have loved ones. It's often difficult to believe. But it's true, and something to take into account.

He's paid well for the case.

* * *

"What is the shirtless thing all about?" asks a woman that Naoki doesn't recognize, leaning against a wall.

He can tell instantly that she's at least part demon. She's not one of the humans that survived the Conception. She's not a manikin, and she's not a ghost of someone who died. Therefore, she's a demon of some kind.

"What do you mean?" he asks, stretching his arms over his head.

"I mean, when I found out I was half demon, I didn't ditch my shirt right away," she answers. She's wearing pink and black. "It's not required."

Naoki shrugs. "I just woke up without mine."

"Huh." She thinks on his for a moment, then pushes herself off the wall. "Mirai Kaname."

"Naoki Kashima." He accepts her handshake when she offers one. "Most people just call me the Demifiend though."

"There's no way I'm calling you that, I'd get you confused with myself and my brother." Mirai looks around them. "Hey, have you seen anyone mysterious lately? I mean really mysterious, and probably blond."

"I've seen a kid like that. And an old man. They're probably the same person." Naoki makes a face when he remembers the first time he had a magatama ingested.

"You couldn't point me in their direction, could you?" Mirai asks. When Naoki just shakes his head, Mirai sighs. "I've been looking for ages. For a world only the size of Tokyo, he's really hard to find."

"What are you looking for him for, anyway?" Naoki asks.

Without even blinking, Mirai answers, "He owes me a birthday present."

"...Seriously?"

"No. Well, he does, a couple presents actually, but that's not the reason." Mirai folds her arms across her chest. "I just can't keep track of him and I like to know where he is, that's all. You'd want to know where your parent is wandering off to too."

"Huh... well, you might ask the mercenary guy who's been wandering around? I think he works for him, or something," Naoki replies. He doesn't really care that much about their relationship as long as it doesn't involve screwing him over. "Good luck finding him."

"Thanks! See you later, Naoki." Mirai picks what appears to be a random direction and heads off.

The next time Naoki sees her, she is arguing with the young woman who stands by the old man's wheelchair on the stage where he usually finds them.

"I'm saying I can do this job! I would be happy to do this job! I'm not going to suddenly put him in an old person's home, give me some credit," says Mirai.

"I was not accusing you of doing so," says the woman, "but this duty isn't suitable for one such as you..."

"Because I can't do it?" Mirai asks, hands on her hips and leaning into the woman's face. "I can't talk for Papa?"

The woman looks more and more distressed. "That was not what I suggested- Mistress, please stop-"

Naoki sees the old man muffle a laugh.

* * *

"Mama, we're not doing this." Mirai sighs into her hand. "You look ridiculous."

"It's a functional disguise." Hikaru pouts and does a brief spin. "Do I look good? My skirt doesn't flip, does it?"

"It's... something. I've never really liked school uniforms. And no, your skirt shouldn't flip." Mirai closes her eyes and counts to ten under her breath. "...You look fine. Good luck out there."

"I won't need luck if I do this right." Hikaru has a confident smile on her face.

"This is too silly. I don't care how questionable the Hunter's Associations are, I'm getting a drink."


End file.
